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Early life stress and brain function: Activity and connectivity associated with processing emotion and reward
Max P Herzberg1, Megan R Gunnar1
1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA.
Neuroimage
|December 30, 2019
Summary
Early life stress impacts brain development, leading to altered emotion and reward processing. Research shows accelerated maturation in emotion circuits but potential deficits in reward sensitivity following adversity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Early life stress (e.g., poverty, maltreatment) profoundly affects brain and body stress systems.
- Established mechanisms link childhood adversity to altered brain development and function.
- Neuroimaging studies explore the impact of early adversity on cognitive and emotional development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review neuroimaging literature on emotion and reward processing in individuals with early life stress.
- To examine the differential effects of early adversity on brain maturation.
- To identify future research directions in understanding brain function after adversity.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing neuroimaging studies on early life stress.
- Analysis of findings related to emotion processing and reward sensitivity.
- Synthesis of literature on frontolimbic functional connectivity and reward system development.
Main Results:
- Consistent differences observed in emotion and reward information processing.
- Evidence suggests accelerated maturation of emotion regulation circuits (frontolimbic connectivity).
- Potential deficits in reward sensitivity are indicated, though less studied.
Conclusions:
- Early adversity may lead to accelerated development in emotion regulation at the potential cost of reward system development.
- Further research is needed to understand the long-term consequences of these developmental trajectories.
- Investigating the interplay between emotion and reward systems is crucial for understanding adaptive responses to adversity.
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